


oh to forget and forgive

by anamanatree2



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Light Angst, Spoilers for Season 5, takes place after the finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:20:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24259558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anamanatree2/pseuds/anamanatree2
Summary: “It’s not that simple, Adora-”“Can’t it be?”Catra struggles with accepting forgiveness.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 227





	oh to forget and forgive

Adora could tell there was something bothering Catra. 

It’d been an exhausting day, sure. From watching their abusive mother die, to saving the universe, to finally (finally!) kissing her oldest friend, it was understandable that they would both be about ready to collapse. Dreaming longingly of her bed, Adora led Catra up the stairs to their room, dragging her feet with exhaustion. But even as her mind fought off a tired haze, she couldn’t help but notice Catra’s tail thrashing anxiously behind her. She frowned. It wasn’t unusual for her tail to betray her cool facade and show her hidden feelings, but the war was over now. They won, they were together. What was worrying her?

Adora gently shoved the door open, laying her eyes on her room for the first time in what felt like years. It had been an unspoken agreement that she and Catra would be sharing a room, and she could see that someone had gone ahead and brought in another bed. Catra paused at the sight of it, and watched Adora all but throw herself into her own. Catra gingerly sat down on the edge of the extra bed, eyes still trained on Adora. 

Deciding that enough was enough, Adora met her gaze. 

“What’s up with you?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. When Catra didn’t respond, she huffed and patted the bed next to her. She waited until Catra had carefully settled beside her to speak.

“I can tell you’re worried about something. Talk to me?” She took her hand, gently intertwining their fingers. “Please?”

Catra squeezed her hand, hesitantly leaning to rest against her shoulder. “You almost died today,” she forced out, her gaze trained directly in front of her, as if she were reliving the moment. “That terrified me.”

Adora squeezed back. “It scared me, too.” Catra’s heart throbbed in her chest as Adora’s mouth turned up in a reassuring smile.

“But I’m okay, I’m right here. You saved me.” She brushed a wild strand of hair out of Catra’s face. “We’re together.”

Catra averted her gaze. “I know.” 

“So then what’s-”

“I don’t want to ever lose you again, okay?” Catra interrupted, face flushing even as her tone grew more desperate. 

“I keep thinking you’re gonna wake up and realize-” She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep, grounding breath. Then, in a voice so small and choked it hurt Adora to hear, she said, “I don’t understand how you can just- forgive me. For everything I did.”

Adora stared uncomprehendingly. 

“I was so angry with you for so long, and I just keep remembering everything I said, everything I did,” Catra went on, the words rushing out all at once. “You didn’t deserve it, not any of it.”

Adora tilted Catra’s face towards her, forcing her to make eye contact. “Hey,” she said softly, “you kind of saved the universe? I think that might make up for it. You know, in a cosmic sense.”

Catra huffed, tail lashing. “Okay, fine! I may have cosmically repaid the mess I made, gotten- I don’t know, reverse karma or something?” She gestured wildly with her free hand, frustrated. “But that doesn’t erase what I did to you.”

Adora frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Adora, I tried to kill you. Multiple times.” Catra snapped, exasperated. “That’s not really something you can just forget!”

“To be fair, I tried to kill you too.” 

Catra gave her a hard look. “Did you?”

“I-” Adora bit her lip. “I didn’t try to avoid it.”

Catra snorted. “That’s not the same. I- I wanted to hurt you. I did hurt you.” She looked down at their hands, clasped together. “I can’t forgive myself for that. I can’t understand how you could.”

Adora looked at her, emotions flitting across her face. They sat in silence for a few moments, Catra sinking in the echoes of her outburst, Adora struggling for words.

Adora took a breath. 

“Do you not want me to forgive you?” She asked, hesitantly. 

Catra flinched. 

“I- what?”

“It’s not that dumb of a question! You seem pretty insistent on reminding me of every bad thing you’ve ever done, Catra. It’s not like I just forgot.” Adora threw her own words back at her, a hint of venom creeping into her voice for the first time. 

Catra opened her mouth. Nothing came out. Adora’s eyes seemed to search her own, trying to understand. Catra couldn’t bring herself to look away. 

Adora gripped her hand. “Answer me, Catra.”

Catra hissed, miserable. “Of course I want you to forgive me. Obviously.” She furiously blinked back the tears pricking at her eyes. “I just don’t think you should.”

Adora let her words sink in, trying to find a way to convey the mass of emotions swirling inside her chest. 

“Well,” she said slowly, “it’s a good thing that’s not up to you.”

Catra’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She opened her mouth to respond, a lump in her throat.

“Look.” Adora cut her off before she could say anything. “You were the one who told me to think about what I want.”

It wasn’t a question, but Catra nodded. A few tears began to fall, despite her efforts to hold them back.

Adora paused, searching for the words. “I want-” she broke off, thinking. “...I want a future where I’m happy. And while I haven’t quite figured out what that is yet, I know that you’re in it.” She flushed slightly, but her stare didn’t waver. 

“What do you want, Catra?”

Tears were falling freely down Catra’s cheeks now, but she was far too caught up in Adora’s words to notice. 

In an impossibly soft voice, she said, “I want you.” Both girls were pink at the cheeks, gazing at each other. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, you idiot.”

Adora’s eyes were brimming with tears as she beamed. 

“Then let me forgive you. Please.”

Catra’s breath caught. She shook her head halfheartedly, sniffling as Adora reached to gently brush the tears from her cheek. 

“It’s not that simple, Adora-”

“Can’t it be?”

Adora’s voice was pleading, tender. “I want to have that future with you. I want to forgive you.”

Catra let out a strangled sob, collapsing in her arms. Adora held her tight against her chest, burying her head in her shoulder. 

They stayed that way for a long time, wrapped in each other’s embrace. Catra’s tears trickled to a stop, her breathing slowed. She ran her hand through Adora’s hair, focused on nothing but the rise and fall of her chest and the steady beating of her heart pressed against her own. 

It could’ve been hours or mere minutes later when Catra murmured a muffled “Thank you.”

Adora shifted, gently pressing her forehead against Catra’s.

“We look out for each other,” she breathed. 

Catra met her gaze, unguarded.

“I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> so how about that finale, huh?  
> I binged the whole season the day it came out and immediately went feral


End file.
